


Lightning Rod

by tinx_r



Category: Riptide (TV)
Genre: First Time, M/M, PERIL!, Pre-Canon, Stormy Weather
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-03-01
Updated: 2021-03-01
Packaged: 2021-03-13 23:48:11
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,400
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29783946
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/tinx_r/pseuds/tinx_r
Summary: Nick and Cody are still getting used to living together on the boat. A week of stormy weather provides some challenges... and a whole new outlook.
Relationships: Cody Allen/Nick Ryder
Comments: 13
Kudos: 9





	Lightning Rod

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Quoshara](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Quoshara/gifts).



> For Quo, who wanted Brewing Storms :)

Storm clouds loomed on the horizon, pregnant and crackling with heat lightning. Occasional rumbles of thunder, deep and low, seemed to come from below the sea. The afternoon was turning dramatic.

The wind hadn't come up yet, but there were white caps at the harbor mouth warning of what was to come. Tourists on the pier were still going about their business with little more than a glance for the ominous clouds to the west.

Nick was still at work - hopefully not on the top of a building, stuck on some iron girder with aspirations to become a lightning rod, far above King Harbor. At least he wasn't in the air.

Cody grimaced, looked back at the clouds, then at his watch. There was a fair chance knock-off time would come before the storm. He went around the boat, stowing away the cushions and anything else likely to be at the mercy of the storm, checked the bow and stern lines and dropped a couple more fenders over the side.

It wasn't quite four when the rain came in a sweeping sheet, gusty winds driving it hard. By a quarter after five, it was nearly black outside, the sky a churning mess of low cloud lit now and then with flickers of lightning, and the Vette had still not come home.

Ridiculous to worry - Nick was probably waiting out the storm, unwilling to trust the Corvette's soft-top to the weather. Or having a beer with the crew after work - Nick knew Cody had the night off his boatyard security job, so probably figured Cody hadn't fixed dinner the way he usually did on work nights.

A moment later the phone interrupted Cody's train of thought. Probably Nick, Cody thought, reaching for the receiver with relief, inviting Cody to join him at Straightaway's. 

Instead, Lieutenant Quinlan's harsh tones filled his ear. "Police. That you, beach boy? Better get down to King Harbor Medical, pronto."

Cody started to ask questions, filled with dread. But the dial tone was his only answer, and he grabbed the car keys off the hook and ran off the boat.

Nick was okay. Finally, Cody had been given that much information, nearly an hour after Quinlan's phone call. He had nothing else - foolishly he'd identified himself as a 'friend' to the hospital staff so no-one would tell him anything - but Quinlan had still been present, accompanied by two uniformed cops.

Enemy or not, Quinlan had given him a nod, told him Nick had given a statement and would be free to go soon.

"Lieutenant, what happened? Is he okay?"

"I don't have time, Allen. Try for some patience, you should be good at it seeing as all you do all day is sit on your ass."

"Quinlan, please, they won't give me any info - "

Quinlan turned, an expression close to sympathy fleetingly on his face. "Next time tell them you're his brother," he said harshly. "Let him tell you. But he's okay." The lieutenant turned on his heel and stalked off, and Cody slumped into one of the hard plastic chairs. 

A moment later he leaped to his feet as Nick appeared at last. In a wheelchair pushed by a candy-striper, white faced, but alert and able to find a smile when his eyes found Cody.

“Nick - ” _Are you okay? What the hell happened?_ Cody swallowed the questions that wanted to tumble out his mouth and found a polite smile for the kid behind the wheelchair. “Thanks. Is there any paperwork or anything?”

“All done.” Nick rattled a paper bag Cody hadn’t noticed, then grabbed Cody’s arm and pulled himself to his feet. “Thanks, Carlie,” he said, smiling at the candy-striper. “C’mon, Cody, let’s get out of here.”

Nick moved stiffly and kept hold of Cody’s arm as they headed for the exit, but although his color was bad there were no other obvious signs of damage. Cody left Nick under the portico at the entrance and ran through the storm to fetch the Woody, holding his breath until he made it back and could help Nick inside. 

“You’re okay?” he managed at last in a tight voice as he pulled out onto the road.

Nick leaned his head back against the headrest and put a hand on Cody’s leg. “I’ll live.”

Back on the Riptide, Nick shrugged off Cody’s questions. “You mind if I lay down for a while, man? I’m beat.”

Cody let him go, heard the shower run briefly then, unusually, the stateroom door closed. Still scared and shaken, Cody went downstairs and showered himself - he’d gotten soaked twice, first on the way to the hospital and again when fetching the Woody across the parking lot - then hesitated outside the stateroom door.

Nick obviously wanted privacy. He’d talk when he was ready - Cody knew him well enough to understand the withdrawal wasn’t personal. Cody forced himself to put the worry aside and go upstairs.

Realizing he hadn’t eaten, he made do with a sandwich and switched on the TV. 

A game show followed by a mindless sitcom had nearly enabled Cody to pretend things were fine - after all, Nick was downstairs, sore and tired but whole and safe - when the evening news came on. The first picture was the building site where Nick was employed, and the tag line made Cody grip the table, knuckles turning white.

_Two killed in construction accident. Local man a hero._

Cody shook his head, trying to get his ears to work. Trying to process the information coming at him from the small screen.

A girder slipping from its moorings, improperly secured, probably due to someone trying to work in the storm. Falling across the sidewalk, killing the supervisor and a bystander instantly. Four more men trapped when the crane it was chained to tipped on its side.

And one man ignoring orders and personal safety, defying the police, dragging his workmates free of the fallen machinery, and finally scaling the cab of the crane itself to free the unconscious driver and pull him to safety.

There was footage of that part, the crane driver being lowered through the rain to waiting helpers, and then his rescuer starting his own way down. Slipping, as the storm intensified, losing his footing and falling yards to the ground.

Cody sat forward, gripping his knees. The picture was shaky and not very clear, and it was impossible to recognise faces. But Cody knew the rescuer, the man who had fallen, was Nick. 

Cody clicked off the TV and poured himself a cup of coffee. He drank half, Nick’s fall on loop in his head, then set the mug on the table and went downstairs to the stateroom.

Nick was in his bunk, facing the wall. He wasn’t sleeping - not even pretending - the light was on and he was tense, braced.

“Hey,” Cody said softly, and sat down on Nick’s bunk. He rested a hand lightly on Nick’s shoulder, and although Nick shuddered, he didn’t pull away.

“It was on the news,” Cody continued, rubbing Nick’s shoulder gently. 

Nick took a couple of unsteady breaths. “I - ” he said, then raised his hands to his face. His shoulders shook.

Cody kept stroking. Nick was so strong, and it had taken years for him to trust Cody enough to show weakness. “You didn’t have to shut the door,” Cody said. “I wouldn’t have made you talk.”

“Yeah,” Nick muttered, and raised a hand blindly.

“Shift over,” Cody said, kicking off his shoes. Nick moved a little but Cody climbed on the bunk behind him anyway, gently putting his arms around him. “Where hurts?”

Nick moved properly this time, making space then turning to face Cody, but nestling his head down against Cody’s shoulder. “Everywhere,” he said unsteadily, grabbing a fistful of Cody’s sweatshirt. “My neck, my knee, my back. Nearly dislocated my shoulder. Thought I was gonna break my ankle.” He stopped, coughed. “Thought I was gonna die.”

Cody wrapped one arm around Nick and used the other hand to seek out sore spots in his neck. There wasn’t any answer for that, because he’d seen Nick’s fall. “You made it,” he said anyway, because sometimes words helped. “You saved those guys, thanks to you they made it too.”

“I couldn’t just stand around, “ Nick said, talking into Cody’s sweater. “That whole thing went, right after we all got clear. Girder, crane, the whole shebang, tipped right over into the street. They show that on the news?”

“I turned it off after you fell,” Cody said, shifting to stroking the hair at the nape of Nick’s neck. “They’re calling you a hero.”

“Quinlan called me a dumb schmuck looking for an early grave and he might have that right.” Nick shuddered again, but he was starting to relax, leaning into Cody, letting go of the terrible tension. “You know me.”

“Yeah,” Cody agreed, thinking of times overseas, choppers where choppers couldn’t go, guys pulled from the edge of horrors unimaginable because Nick never left a man behind. 

Nights in the brig because Nick had flouted orders again, and taken Cody with him. Cody, wooden-faced, eyes front. “No sir. We didn’t hear those orders, sir.” Guys back in camp, guys in the field hospitals, guys making it home. 

“At least Quinlan didn’t lock you up for it.”

“Yeah,” Nick agreed, taking a deep breath. “Ah, man. Sorry I shut you out.”

“Whatever you need, huh?”

“I need you,” Nick said, lifting his head to look sheepishly into Cody’s eyes. “I know that, and I still try and hide. You know?”

“I know,” Cody said, swallowing a lump in his throat. “I need you too, buddy. If tonight had gone south - ”

“I know that too. When I slipped, all I could think of was you. Maybe leaving you, you know?” Nick’s eyes were wet. “All those years, and then on a stupid construction site - you know?”

Cody closed his eyes. It didn’t bear thinking about. “All those years I had your back,” he muttered.

Nick took a harsh breath. “Yeah. That’s tough, you know? For me, I mean.”

“Whaddaya mean?” Cody opened his eyes, tensing. 

“Working alone,” Nick said, giving a small shrug. “Without you, I mean. It’s like I got my hands tied.”

“Oh.” Cody swallowed hard and nodded. “Yeah. It’s the same for me.”

Nick smiled at that and relaxed. “Didn’t wanna tell you,” he confided. “Dumb, huh? Should’a figured you’d get it.”

“Me, too.” Cody sighed and went to work on Nick’s neck again. “Called myself a fucked up lame duck.”

“Duck?” Nick rolled onto his stomach, moaning softly as Cody moved into position and started rubbing him down in earnest. “Not a turkey?”

“Maybe a pelican, smartass.”

Nick didn’t reply, just wriggled a little under Cody’s hands. But quite a long time later, after Cody had covered him with a blanket and shifted to his own bunk, he heard Nick’s sleepy, muttered thanks.

*

Nick took a few days off, too sore for heights and heavy lifting, and on the second night accompanied Cody to the boatyard. They napped in shifts, traded off, talked shit and played cards, and Cody started wondering if he could persuade Tiny Tim security was a two-man gig.

Generally the nights were quiet - an occasional drunk needing a cab, sometimes belligerent patrons from one of the bars on the pier, looking for a suitable place to settle differences. Cody had the cops and the cab company on speed dial and otherwise he did his rounds and watched the clock.

“Every hour?” Nick frowned as Cody got up. “What if someone’s watching? You don’t wanna give them a pattern, man.”

Cody paused. “Yeah, I know. But they gave me a schedule, and it’s not exactly Secret Service stuff, you know?”

“Still. Didn’t you say there was a break in a couple of weeks ago? Some punks took some parts and messed the place up a bit?”

“Yeah, but that was in daylight. They waited until Tim was on an errand, and the other guys were busy on the wharf - “

“So they watched, is what you’re saying?”

“Maybe,” Cody allowed, and sat back down. “I better wait ten minutes, yeah?”

“No. Go now, so if someone is watching you’re on schedule. I’ll watch your back in case anyone’s laying for you. And then you go again in ten minutes, you know?”

Cody went, absurdly unsettled by Nick’s suggestion of someone laying for him. But the night was as still as ever, broken only by the muffled thump of dance music from the nearest bar and the street noise from the boulevard two blocks over.

One of the lights was out on the street side of the yard, but Cody's torch showed no disturbance to the chain link fence. Back in the office he noted it in his report book, along with the time.

“That’s the corner I’d choose to come in,” Nick said, reentering the office. “Didn’t see anyone, though.”

Cody frowned as Nick limped back to his seat. “You shoulda stayed in. You’re supposed to be resting.”

“I rested all day.” Nick grinned, but sat and swung his sore leg up to rest on another chair. His ankle was still swollen and strapped. “I’m feeling a lot better.”

Cody rolled his eyes and went to pour coffee for them both. 

As he passed the window, a jiggle of light caught his eye. He stopped, stepped back and stared, waiting for it to come again - headlights glancing off fiberglass perhaps, or even the moon, reflecting off the moving water. There was nothing save the faintest sound, a muffled clink or tinkle. Nothing, probably.

“What?” Nick was at his side, staring into the dark. “You see something?”

“A light. Maybe.” Cody hesitated, and heard the sound again.

“Someone’s out there. C’mon.” Nick hurried for the door, not limping now, soundless. All soldier. 

Cody didn’t hesitate. Out the door, a quick touch to Nick’s hip and they split up, heading for the dark area at the back.

There were at least three of them, gathered around an outboard motor near the fence. One flashed a penlight and Cody saw the features half hidden by a stocking mask. “Hold it!” Cody shouted, starting forward. “Security!”

Something hit him hard from behind and he staggered. He heard Nick roar from somewhere further back, heard running feet, then someone shoved him and he went down hard. 

He lay possum for a count of ten, then started to move. A sharp, hard kick in the ribs stole his air and rolled him, and this time he stayed down, staring through the dark, searching for his assailant, silently struggling to catch his breath.

“Cody!” Nick yelled from yards away, sounding panicked, and more footsteps ran.

Still winded, Cody couldn’t shout back. Instead, he flicked his flashlight on and moments later Nick ran up, wild eyed. 

“Are you okay?” He dropped to the ground at Cody’s side, one hand going to Cody’s shoulder.

Cody managed a nod. “Winded,” he gasped, and Nick nodded back.

“They cut the fence under that light,” Nick said tightly. “If you’d stayed on schedule they would’ve walked out with whatever they were after.”

“And maybe I wouldn’t have two broken ribs,” Cody muttered. Breathing was getting easier, but the pain where he’d been kicked, high on his right side, told its own story. “They got away?”

“I didn't try and stop them.” Nick shrugged at Cody’s look. “I counted four. Might have been more. Hell, I’ve stared down worse odds, I guess, but I just didn’t figure some old boat parts were worth getting the shit beaten out of me. C’mon. Let's get you inside and call the cops.”

***

Cody was too sore and tired to even take a shower when they finally made it back to the boat. He’d argued, but Nick had stubbornly driven to Marina Medical Centre regardless, and the poking and eventual x-rays had confirmed what he’d already known: a bruised and painful back, and two cracked ribs. No heavy lifting, a week off work, take two Advil and don’t bother calling.

He crawled into bed while Nick showered and tried to find the least painful place to lie.

“Aw, man.” Cody opened his eyes to find Nick perched on the bunk beside him, and realized, painful or not, he’d dozed off. He smelled coffee and bacon, and his stomach gurgled.

“Yeah,” Nick continued with a grin, “I knew you’d be hungry. C’mon, sit up a little or you’ll drown in your coffee.”

Cody didn't want to sit up or move, but he was chilled and shivery and suddenly wanted the coffee very badly. Wincing, he shuffled upward.

“Let me, maybe.” Nick slid an arm behind his shoulders and lifted.

Cody yelped and tensed but it didn’t hurt as much as he thought it was going to - not as much as his own efforts had - and in a moment he was resting on pillows and Nick was putting a coffee mug in his hand.

“Thanks,” he said unsteadily, looking from the coffee to Nick. “You didn’t have to - “

“Shut up.” Nick handed him two pills. “Advil. And here’s a bacon sandwich, because I figured it was easy to eat in bed.”

Cody swallowed the Advil and chased them with a mouthful of coffee. Even the first sip made him feel warmer, or maybe that was Nick, sitting so close. “Thanks,” he said again, leaning his head back against the wall. “Thanks for backing me up tonight, and thanks for this.”

“Felt good,” Nick said in a low voice. “Working together, I mean. Not - “ he gestured at Cody.

Cody smiled and drank more coffee. “Yeah,” he agreed. “Don’t forget to put that liniment on your ankle.”

“After we eat. You want some on your ribs, too?”

“Yeah, maybe.” Cody yawned. “I’m beat, buddy. But after I get a nap, I’ll put some on your shoulder like I did last night.”

Nick nodded and retreated to his own bunk, and got to work on his own coffee and food. Cody picked up his sandwich and inspected it, then took an experimental bite. It was good - the bacon was crispy just the way he liked it and Nick had used some kind of barbecue sauce as well. “Yum,” Cody said eloquently, and chased the mouthful with coffee.

“Haute cuisine it ain’t,” Nick said, “but if we went to bed hungry after everything we’d only feel worse later.”

“Thank you.” Cody sighed and stretched his uninjured side. “Sorry I left you with it.”

“Hey. You picked me up Friday and played nurse. Turn and turn about.”

Cody chuckled. “When you put it like that…” He finished his sandwich and put his coffee mug on the nightstand. “I’m gonna catch some zees.”

“Wait. Get out of that shirt, huh? I’ll give you a hand.”

Nick came back to his side and Cody submitted, wincing as Nick carefully undressed him. “Don’t try and lift your arm,” Nick warned him. “Just let me.”

Cody did as he was told, tensing against the pain, but Nick was gentle and seemed to know just what he could stand. “Trust me,” Nick said, softly, once the offending t-shirt had been tossed into the laundry pile. 

“I do,” Cody replied just as quietly, leaning in, and Nick stopped for a moment and eased his arm around Cody’s shoulders.

“Okay?”

“Feels good to be close,” Cody muttered. 

“Sure does,” Nick agreed, and gently started smoothing liniment onto Cody’s ribs. “Maybe tomorrow we could take the boat out, if you’re feeling up to it. Take a couple of days to relax since we’re both kinda beat up.”

“Yeah.” Cody yawned, leaning more heavily on Nick. “Sounds good, buddy.”

“C’mon.” Nick picked up a sweater. “Let me get you into this and get you comfortable so you can take a nap.”

Cody yawned again and let himself be manipulated into the garment. He was getting sleepier by the minute, the painkillers taking effect along with the warmth from the food and the coffee. “Thanks, Nick,” he murmured as Nick eased him down onto the mattress.

“Sleep now, big guy.” Nick smoothed Cody’s hair back then pulled the blankets over him. “You need anything, I’m right here, you know?”

Eyes already closed, Cody reached out blindly, found Nick’s hand and squeezed. 

***

Cooper’s Island wasn’t exactly a tourist destination. The fishing was average, the beaches were small, and it was too far from L.A. for the jetboat crowd. Nick and Cody had been anchored in a quiet bay for two days, and seen no one save the odd small craft on its way to more popular destinations.

It was perfect.

They’d swum, sunbathed, and relaxed, and both of them were healing physically.

Sleeping, at least in the dark, was another matter. Nick had woken three times in the night, shouting for Cody, until at 4am they’d retreated to the salon with coffee. Nick had napped the afternoon away, stretched on the seat on the fantail, head in Cody’s lap, while Cody stroked his hair and tried to concentrate on the western he was reading.

“Hungry yet?” Nick murmured without opening his eyes, and Cody started.

“Didn’t know you were awake.” He put the book down.

Nick stretched, then rolled on his back and looked up at his partner. “Thanks,” he said simply.

Cody colored up at the openness on Nick’s face - naked affection, warmth, trust, all directed at him. “Do you feel better?” he asked to cover his confusion.

“Yeah.” Nick yawned and sat up, and rested a hand between Cody’s shoulder blades. “How ‘bout you, big guy? D’you need a nap? Or are you ready to eat?”

Cody considered. “I could eat,” he said, and followed up with a jaw-cracking yawn. “Wow. Or sleep.”

Nick stretched. “I’ll start dinner,” he suggested. “I know it’s kind of early, but those bacon and eggs were a few hours ago.”

Cody nodded. Breakfast had been coffee - neither of them had felt like food until the sun was high and they’d finished their morning swim. “Sounds good. Shame we didn’t do any fishing.”

“There’s always tomorrow.” Nick grinned and stood up. “Why don’t you catch a nap?”

Cody thought about it, but instead, he followed Nick inside and down to the galley. Yawning again, he slipped into the booth and rested his elbows on the table. 

“You’re mostly asleep,” Nick said, turning from the fridge and putting a hand on Cody’s shoulder. “Go up and sack out in the salon.”

Cody looked at the top of the stairs, looked at Nick and shook his head. It was maybe twelve feet from the couch in the salon to the galley, but that was twelve feet too far.

“Let’s grill,” Nick said. “Here. Take this meat topside, and those buns. I’ll make a salad real quick and be up before you know it.”

Cody nodded, yawned again, and went upstairs. He put the food on the table and fired up the grill, and grinned as Nick came up bearing a salad bowl and plates. “Nice up here in the sun anyhow.”

“Sure is.” Nick gestured to one of the sun loungers. “Take a load off, big guy. You’re done, and it’s my fault.”

“I could go all night,” Cody lied, and headed for the lounger. “Not your fault, anyhow. If I’d gotten any sleep woulda been me having nightmares.”

Cody woke with the last of the sunset a pink strip across the dusky horizon, and the night just beginning to turn cool. He sat up slowly, feeling heavy and a little woozy.

“Hey.” Nick, beside him in the other lounger, sat forward and put a hand on his back. “Feel okay?”

Cody rubbed a hand over his face. “Yeah,” he said hoarsely, and coughed to clear his throat. “What time is it?”

“Half eight. Hungry?”

Cody’s stomach growled. He chuckled as Nick said “Sounds like a yes. Let me fix your steak.”

Cody leaned back, watching as Nick turned the grill up and set the meat to cook. “I thought you were grilling hours ago.”

“You needed the sleep.” Nick shrugged, looking at Cody over his shoulder. “I napped all afternoon and I know how much better I feel. Didn’t wanna wake you so I figured we’d just eat late.” He slid steaks onto plates and passed one to Cody, then brought his own back to his lounger.

Cody’s stomach growled again and he dug in. The steak was rare and perfect, the salad was crisp, the bun was fresh. “What, no barbecue sauce?” he teased, because compliments were for food cooked in the kitchen. 

Nick glanced at him, took a swig of beer and handed him the bottle. “I thought of it, but I didn’t wanna go downstairs and leave ya. You know?”

Cody felt himself blush and took a long drink. “It was a joke,” he said awkwardly. “But uh, thanks.”

“Anytime.” Nick reached out and snagged the beer back. “Thanks for today, man.”

Cody applied himself to the food. It was certainly safer than any of the answers he could have given. He had a fair idea Nick knew them all anyhow, but saying them out loud wasn’t their style. 

***

The problem with napping in the day, of course, was wakefulness at bedtime. It was past midnight and neither Nick or Cody were ready to turn in, even though they’d planned to return to King Harbor the next day.

The wind had changed and Cody went into the wheelhouse and turned on the radio. “I think we might be in for another storm,” he said, at Nick’s inquiring look.

A few minutes later the maritime forecast came on, the announcer’s measured tones confirming Cody’s suspicions. “Doesn’t sound as bad as Friday,” Cody said, “but we won't be going home tomorrow. Whaddaya think? You want to sail in now, or wait it out?”

“Are we safe out here?” Nick looked out to sea uneasily.

Cody grinned. “Yeah. As safe as in King Harbor, buddy. This cove is sheltered and the anchor’s well set. I can drop a bowline around one of those trees and we’ll be snug as anything.”

“Snug,” Nick said, and made quote marks in the air with his fingers. “The things you sell me on, man.”

Cody grinned into the wry amusement in his friend’s face. “C’mon. Best get set now, then we can go below and ride it out.”

Cody swam the short distance to shore and tied the bowline while Nick stowed everything on deck, then together they secured the loose items inside. Nick frowned, watching as Cody secured the TV with a bungee cord. “That bad?”

“Probably not,” Cody said over his shoulder, “but if I’m wrong, we got a broken TV.”

“Snug,” Nick said pensively. “I gotta buy you a dictionary for your birthday, big guy.”

“Trust me,” Cody said, turning back from the set and slinging an arm around Nick. “We’re gonna be fine. I’m gonna grab a shower. Why don’t you find the liniment?”

***

Cody came back from the head to find Nick on his bunk, awkwardly applying the liniment to his ankle. “Swelling’s gone down,” Cody remarked, taking the bottle from Nick’s hand and sitting beside him. He took over, slathering on more cream, rubbing gently.

“That feels great,” Nick said. “How’re your ribs?”

“A bit sore after swimming.” Cody lifted his right arm. “But I can do this, see?”

Nick nodded, leaned forward and repossessed the liniment. “Your turn. Why don’t you lie down?”

Cody did, letting Nick help him put his right arm forward so the liniment could be applied to his ribs. He drew it back again slowly as Nick’s hands moved to his shoulders and neck. “That feels great,” he murmured, flexing into the touch.

He found himself drifting off under the strong, sure touch of his partner, and barely roused enough to move over in response to Nick’s urging. But when Nick stretched out beside him and pulled a blanket over them both, Cody grunted in pleased agreement, draped an arm across Nick and nestled his head against Nick’s shoulder. 

The storm rolled in an hour before dawn. Cody started awake as the warm body at his side moved away. “Nick?” He propped himself on an elbow, shaking his head muzzily.

“Need to hit the head.” Nick braced himself against the bunk as the Riptide rolled. “Shit.”

“Okay.” Cody swung his legs off the bed. “I’ll come too. Take it easy.”

It wasn’t too bad, Cody realized as they moved down the hall. The Riptide’s rolls were regular and there were no ominous crashes from above - just the moan of the wind, and the muted roar of the waves against the rocks outside. As they got to the head, there was a flash as bright as daylight, followed seconds later by a crack of thunder so loud Nick jumped and staggered. 

Cody steadied him, arm around his shoulders. “It’s okay. She’s riding it great, don’t worry.”

Nick nodded and reached for the light switch. “Yeah,” he said grimly. “Pilots don’t like storms.”

“Sailors do, in safe harbor.”

Nick snapped on the light in time for Cody to see his crooked smile. “Snug,” he said. “I gotcha.”

Cody released him with a grin and turned his back, leaning against the door jamb. “Sit down to pee, pal.”

“Fuck,” Nick said. Cody heard him catch himself on the sink as the Riptide curtsied. “Yeah. Tell me, how is it you like it when a boat loops the loop, but one little roll in a chopper and you’re antsy as shit? You know?”

“Well, it’s a safe harbor and we’re - ”

“Snug. Yup. I thought of making a pot of coffee but I guess we’re at soda or beer, you know?”

Water ran and Cody turned to take his own turn in the head. “Yeah. Wait for me, big guy. I’ll come up with you.”

Breakfast was PB&J and soda. They sat on deck briefly and watched the storm until the wind changed again and brought the rain with it, then Nick looked around the salon and shook his head. “May as well go back to bed,” he said, and headed below.

Cody flipped through a magazine for a while, then followed Nick downstairs. Nick was curled up in his bunk, blanket over his head, light still on. “Are you sleeping?” Cody asked.

“Not yet.” Nick moved the covers slightly, revealing one eye. “What’s up?”

“Sorry. I should’ve run us in last night.”

“Hey. No.” Nick sat up. “I don’t like storms on land either, man.”

“Yeah, but we could’ve gone to the movies. Something like that.”

“We wouldn’t have had any sleep, and I’d be just as tired as I am now. More. You know?” Nick looked at the ceiling as a particularly loud crack of thunder sounded. “C’mon, aren’t you sleepy? The last four nights I think we’ve barely closed our eyes.”

“Last night…”

“Last night we turned in after two and got up before six. I dunno about you but I’m fifteen years too old for that to be a night’s sleep. You know?”

“I guess you got a point.” Cody sat down on his bunk. He was tired, but he didn’t feel sleepy, exactly. What he felt was a yearning for the closeness of the night before, an almost overwhelming urge to be with Nick. “Um, you want some liniment on your ankle? Or maybe a rubdown?”

“My ankle feels great.” Nick flexed his right shoulder. “My back and my shoulder, though…”

“You shoulda said something last night,” Cody said, moving to Nick’s bunk. “Where’s the liniment?”

“I used the last of it on you last night.” Nick shrugged and lay down. “There’s baby oil in the drawer.”

Cody leaned over and found the bottle. “You better take some Advil. This stuff won't help you feel better.”

“Maybe not,” Nick muttered, wriggling onto his stomach and yanking his pillow into position. “But you will, you know?”

Cody dribbled a palmful of oil onto Nick’s shoulders and laid his hands over the top. His stomach was full of butterflies as he straddled Nick’s hips and went to work on the strong shoulders. It wasn’t the first time or even the tenth time he’d rubbed Nick down but something was different between them. Something that had been changing since they’d moved onto the boat.

“I think you’re giving me too much credit,” was what he said.

Nick groaned appreciatively. “Whatever you say, man. Just don’t stop.”

Cody didn't try to answer. Nick was hot under his hands, muscles at first resistant to Cody’s work, and Cody gave his whole concentration to the massage he was delivering. He was off-balance from being taken unawares, Nick was still shaken from his ordeal and it only made sense they’d need each other’s support. Especially since they were both injured.

Cody finally picked up a towel and rubbed the oil off Nick’s back, slowly because he didn't want to stop. But as he moved off the bunk, Nick lifted his head. “Stay with me,” he muttered. “Like last night. Please.”

Cody didn’t need asking twice. As Nick moved over Cody fitted himself into the space beside him, hesitantly wrapping an arm around Nick’s shoulders as Nick burrowed against his chest. “Is everything okay?” he asked awkwardly.

“Scared I’ll dream,” Nick said thickly. “D’you mind?”

“No.” Cody bent his head until Nick’s hair tickled his nose. “I wanted to stay close too.”

Nick raised his head slowly, a crooked smile on his face. “That right?” he asked, looking into Cody’s eyes.

Cody was still trying to think of an answer when Nick leaned in and kissed him.

***

Two days later, chillers full of rockfish, the Riptide chugged her careful way into her berth. It was late afternoon, and the weather was cool and calm, with no sign of the storms of the previous week.

Nick dropped fenders over the side as they came alongside the dock and jumped ashore to tie the bowline. Cody killed the engines and jumped down from the wheelhouse to secure the stern line and reconnect the utilities. 

“Good to be home,” Nick said reflectively, standing and stretching, then flexing his shoulders. “You feel like a nap before dinner?”

Cody felt himself blush. He was a little tired, and Nick probably was too, but he didn’t think Nick had sleeping on the agenda. “Um. Yeah. But… what if someone comes aboard looking for us or - ”

“We’ll lock the door,” Nick said, grinning. “C’mon, big guy, you’ve had those jeans on at least three hours and that’s three hours too long.”

Cody turned fiery red and jumped back aboard. “Jesus, Nick, someone’ll hear - ”

“Better get below real quick then, huh?”

Cody turned his back on the pier and went into the salon through the starboard hatch. Taking a deep breath, he latched it behind him then went forward to check the portside hatch as he heard Nick jump aboard and run up to the wheelhouse, followed by the slam and click of the wheelhouse doors. 

_The honeymoon period_ , Cody rationalized. That was why he couldn’t think of anything but Nick, certainly couldn’t choose to sit on deck with a beer and socialize with their friends and neighbors. He adjusted his jeans. It didn’t help - he was so hard the tight pants were painful. 

Nick ran down the stairs into the salon. “Hey. You doin’ a crossword over there or what? I’d start without you but that wouldn’t be as much fun, you know?”

Cody turned with a rueful grin. “Pants are trying to give me a vasectomy, buddy.”

“Oh yeah?” Nick reached out for him. “I told you you’d been wearin’ ‘em too long.”

Cody would have kissed him right then but Nick steered him toward their cabin and Cody nodded in agreement. The salon was too exposed to prying eyes. He made it down the stairs and out of the offending jeans, then dropped onto NIck’s bunk.

Nick dropped shirt and cargoes on the floor and followed, kicking off his shoes as he pushed Cody onto his back. “Missed you,” he muttered, kissing Cody hungrily.

“Been with you all morning,” Cody managed breathlessly, grabbing at Nick’s shoulders as Nick dragged Cody’s polo off. 

“The last three days I got to kiss you whenever I wanted. Touch you.” Nick brushed Cody’s hair back, kissed him, then reached down to tug at his underwear. “We been in port twenty minutes and that’s twenty dry minutes, man.”

Cody laughed at that, hooked his fingers in the waistband of Nick’s shorts and pulled. “We better make this good, then.”

“It’s always good.” Nick wriggled out of his underwear. “C’mon, get naked.”

It _was_ good. Nick's mouth, impossibly hot and wet, taking him apart piece by agonizing, electric piece. Nick's cock in his hand, pulsing in time with his heart, Nick's taste. The desperate hunger, wild as the storm, threatening to tear him apart, assuaged and sated at last by Nick's touch.

They were still at last, messy and hot, sticky and sweaty. Cody rubbed his damp forehead against Nick's chest, then reached up and wiped semen from his mustache. "Gross," he said, suppressing a laugh.

Nick eyed him for a minute then laughed himself. "If I was looking for romance, I've come to the wrong place, huh?"

"Look at it this way," Cody said, stretching in Nick's arms. "You can find a chick any day for candlelit dinners, moonlit walks on the beach, handholding. But will she blow you so hard you come on your own face?"

"She might swallow," Nick countered, pushing Cody onto his back and bearing him down. He looked in Cody's eyes for a moment then kissed him, deep and long.

Cody gripped Nick's shoulders, giving himself over to the kiss. He was drowning; he was Nick's - Nick was his sustenance, his air, his everything. When they finally broke apart, Cody reached up with a whimper.

"There's my romance," Nick muttered breathlessly. "Knew you had it in you, man."

Cody dropped back on the pillow, grinning up at his best friend. "You cook, I'll light the candles. We can watch the sunset with champagne and then walk down the beach in the moonlight. If that's what floats your boat."

Nick grinned back at Cody and took another kiss. "Beer," he said, "will do just fine."


End file.
